Current Project

So much to love about a carousel.

I've been collecting photos, from the web mostly, of circus carousels for the last few months.  The optical sensations of light and movement create stacked halos, spinning over illuminated structure.  I am particularly drawn to the time lapse images.  They convey a more sinister and chaotic aspect of the ride than what we might first associate with it.  But that has always been part of the appeal of the carnival to artist, writers, musicians, film makers, etc.  Clowns often trigger fear and discomfort in a more subtle way than say the roller coaster.  Entertainment thrills are only a small part of what I am interested in though.

The photo at upper-right  is a good example of symmetry in movement.  This visual paradox makes me think of Mondrian's late paintings.  Compositional equilibrium was not only an aesthetic pursuit but held spiritual aspirations for him as well.  The carousel photo's composition is symmetrical, not complicated like Mondrian's work.  As a composition it is still, and centered, but the blurring lines and forms of the carousel's structure puts us into a mental space with tornado like speed.  Mondrian's lines and forms are crisp and flat.  The illusion of movement occurs through their relationships.  Both images are still and yet moving at the same time.




While looking at some of these photos of carousels I can't help but think of sacred structures and how the carousel is in some way a good symbol of my skeptical respect for the role of the sacred in my life.  Or maybe it's more of a lack of respect, I really have a difficult time knowing which.  It is the sense of centering, the important process of calming the mind in order to see and feel what is in front of me that I think is sacred.  The objects and spaces, the ideas and words, the people  that provoke or allow for such a process become more important in my life are all highly valuable to me, but I would not classify them as sacred.

Collecting, looking at, and thinking about pictures of carousels is not all I am doing,  I've been drawing and painting these images as well.  Trying to get at a better understanding of what this work that I do is really about.  I've been drawn to the subject of symmetry in structure and form several times since I started painting and each time I do I come away with a deeper relationship to it.

The photo below is of a large painting, around 6'x5', still in process.

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It's taped up with a photo of a little girl attached and I am working through several studies on paper as I weigh the existence of a figure within the work.  Nothing is satisfactory enough to act upon which is maybe why I am writing this page.
Their is an emotional impact that I am after.  One that evokes awe and fear.  The painting of the carousel without the figure begins to do it and I am thinking that by including the figure I am telling rather than creating the potential.  I don't know how or if it will be resolved.